By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
The Hays USD 489 Board of Education approved a group of four bids for Hays Middle School renovations during Tuesday’s meeting.
“The big part of this is that we have some bathrooms that are kind of in rough shape,” Superintendent Ron Wilson said.
In addition to the new bathroom fixtures, the contractors will also be installing new flooring and painting the science classrooms.
Together, the bids from Pabst Construction, JDR Painting, Glassman and Iron Clad total $200,788.80.
Board member Allen Park motioned to table the item until the June meeting.
“We have talked as a board about if we have big ticket items that we need to have time to look them over and shouldn’t approve them the same night we get them,” Park said.
Further, Park would like the quotes to have more detail, for them to be competitively bid and for the board to vote on them individually instead of all together. The motion failed.
Wilson said the vendors are matching the bid price that was submitted as part of the bond.
“It went to bid nationally with Nabholz, and then all three of these vendors have agreed to match that nationally-bid price from a year ago with no inflation,” said Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Chris Hipp.
Board member Jayme Goetz noted the prices would be higher if bid today.
“And I’m really happy that three out of four of these are local to Hays,” Goetz said.
Board member Craig Pallister said the renovations at O’Loughlin Elementary School were on a tight schedule and understood the importance of approving the bids so work could be completed over the summer. Pallister motioned to accept the bids.
The motion passed 5-1, with Park voting against. Board member Derek Yarmer was absent.
Other items from the meeting included:
- Approval of fees for the 2026-27 school year. School lunches will increase by 5 cents. All other fees will remain the same as they were this year.
- A motion to accept furniture purchase from Circadia through Omnia and E&I cooperative pre-bid purchasing contracts to not exceed the $275,000 from five-year capital outlay plan.
The next BOE meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. June 15 at the Rockwell Administration Building.